January 6 probe subpoenas Rudy Giuliani, digs into Trump family phone records
On January 17, 2022, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection issued several massive subpoenas. For one, they asked Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani to testify, along with campaign attorneys Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis and campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn. But even more surprisingly, the committee moved against a member of the Trump family for the first time, subpoenaing and obtaining the phone records of Eric Trump and fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Despite a refusal to cooperate, the committee has frequently targeted high-profile Trump allies, but with little success. Barring Mark Meadows, who handed over a massive cache of documents and records, no one else has done so. That includes InfoWars host Alex Jones, longtime ally Steve Bannon, and more recently House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The committee also pushed for the phone records of several Trump allies in Congress, including Lauren Boebart, Matt Gaetz, and Jim Jordan amongst others.
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But while targeting those closest to Trump, the committee has so far steered well away from the former President and his family. Rudy Giuliani, who has been leading the charge in Trump's numerous lawsuits against fraud has also been miraculously spared till now. The action from the committee indicates it is clearly closing in on Trump himself, which is bad news not just for him, but the entire GOP.
Fraud claims land Giuliani, Powell in trouble
Both Giuliani and Powell are clearly being targeted for pushing conspiracy theories about election fraud, which failed to hold up in court numerous times all over the country. Committee chairman Bennie Thompson noted that Giuliani, Powell, Ellis, and Epshteyn "advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former President about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes."
The former Mayor traveled to multiple states to challenge the results, often flanked by Powell and Ellis. Together, the trio cast numerous allegations including one that led to them being sued by voting systems company Dominion after Giuliani and Powell claimed their machines switched votes. The company then sued the duo for $1.3 billion each, while Trump and his campaign cut off ties with them.
Ellis meanwhile, is being targeted for two memos she wrote outlining how then-Vice President Mike Pence could reject electors. Epshteyn is being asked to testify for reportedly attending the January 5 meeting at the Willard Hotel, and over a call he had with Trump on January 6 morning "to discuss options." So far, none of the four have confirmed if they will cooperate, but it seems highly unlikely.
Eric Trump and fiancee also under the scanner
Even more surprising than the subpoenas for Giuliani and Powell though was the fact that the committee decided to move against Eric Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle. The committee reportedly received the phone records of the duo, marking its second most significant win since Meadows' turned over his documents. The records weren't obtained directly from the couple, but rather via communication companies. It shows call and message logs, with the date, time, and lengths of the calls being recorded according to CNN.
Both Eric and Guilfoyle played prominent roles in Trump's efforts, including at the rally shortly before the insurrection. The couple spoke at the rally that day, while also fundraising claiming the election was stolen. It's unclear at the moment if the committee also requested the records of other Trump family members including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Don Jr. We do know that in December 2021, it asked for the records of over 100 people including several sitting Congress members.